First Windy Weekend of the Winter.

The first "Nameable" storm of the winter arrived this weekend. Angus hit the South Coast overnight.

I'd already paid a visit down at Eastney yesterday to check on things, including Meagles. Nicky turned up as I was checking Meagles was ok and we had a bit of a chat. Not for long though as it was a bit too cold to be hanging around.

I arrived this morning to check out if anything had happened. Luckily Sprite was sat happily on the mud. Jim's boat was ok too and Meagles was fine.

There was what I think is a Corribee out past Sprite with a partially unfurled jib. Looks like the wind got hold of it last night. I've posted it up on the Solent Sailors Facebook group so hopefully someone will see it and inform the owner if the owner doesn't see it directly.

I had another tour of the beach and a small yacht that has been on the beach for ages has bent it's rudder post:

I might add fixed rudders without skegs to the list of things not to have on a cheap sailing boat. 

Not much else was awry, except all the boats on the beach that use anchors on their stern lines had all dragged them. Without exception. So if you have a boat down at Eastney secured just by an anchor, get down there and sort it out. Better still, get a proper mud anchor or a block of concrete organised, or your boat won't last the winter.

One boat, "Follow the Dream" had lost all it's stern lines, they look like they've just rotted away:

So far the deep water moored boats seem to be fine. The Harbourmaster's tug that got stuck under the Hayling Island bridge last year has two mooring strops on it this year I noticed, so it should be okay. No boats were up on any of the beaches around Langstone Harbour as far as I could see so that's all good.

So, Bye Bye Angus, thanks for the warning, hopefully the owners of the affected boats will be sufficiently chastened to sort their mooring arrangements out.